It's late
by lontanissima
Summary: Prompt: countdown (from LiveJournal group RaydorFlynn)


**Hi!**

**I've learn what prompt means (yeeeey) and I've decided to write about one. This is from LiveJournal RaydorFlynn group. Prompt: countdown**

**Thanks to my lovely beta Rossabelle **

**Enjoy!**

"It's late," Sharon Raydor whispers to herself. Sitting at her desk in her office, she glances at her watch. She has _two hours, forty eight minutes, and twenty two seconds_ till tonight.

She should be going home with Rusty, but the suspect was extremely uncooperative and in the middle of the interrogation, he invoked his right to counsel. They still don't know if the lawyer will be able to make it or not. These court-appointed attorneys sometimes are so overworked that they can't show up until the next day. For now the only thing they can do is keep waiting. Minutes pass, and she gets impatient. She storms out of the room and looks at her team, searching for Provenza.

"Any news? Do we know if someone is coming for the suspect?" she asks in a rush.

"No, we week calling the courthouse, but I think we need to hold him for the night and we will do the interview all over again in the morning," he offers, and goes back to his crossword puzzle.

"Yes, that's a good idea. We can wait maybe another hour, and then after that, Detective Sanchez, please escort the young man down to holding. Meanwhile, someone please get him something to eat."

"I can do that, Captain."

"Thank you, Amy."

She starts to trot back and forth in search of Rusty. The office is not that big of a place, but sometimes, if he doesn't want to be found, there are places to hide. She goes to his usual cubicle, to the second interview room, to the conference room. Finally, she spots Buzz and Rusty in the break room having snacks.

"Rusty, are you ready? We can go home now."

"Saon I thof tat you aw not wedy," he mumbles with his mouth full.

"What? Please swallow first, then speak, honey," she says to him, amused.

"I said, I thought that you won't be ready so soon. Just let me get my stuff."

She says goodnight to Buzz and goes to her office to gather her purse and coat. It's a chilly day today in LA; she needs to keep that in mind for later when she chooses her outfit for tonight.

Rusty arrives in her office, and they go towards the elevators together. "If you need me, call. If nothing changes in an hour, you can all call it a night," she instructs everyone in the murder room.

When she reaches her car, before she starts the engine, she glances at her watch again. _Two hours, nine minutes and seventeen seconds. _Not bad, considering she just needs to get ready and maybe she will even find the time to relax beforehand.

The quiet car ride is interrupted by Rusty's voice. "Sharon, please can we stop and pick up burgers on our way home? Please, Sharon." He pleads with her.

"Burgers, again? You know we have food at home."

"I know, but I don't think you feel like cooking and I got an A on a test so let me celebrate, please. Besides, the place is not that far from home." He tries again to convince her.

"The place doesn't have a drive in and I'm afraid it will take too much time," she answers, concerned for time.

"Sharon, it's fast food. It means they serve your food fast. Please, I really want that burger."

"Alright, but for the rest of the week we are eating healthy, and I won't change my mind about that. So next time don't try to argue with me," she says, and changes lanes on the road.

Several minutes later she parks in front of a burger place and they both get out of the car. Approaching the door, she has a bad feeling about it. In the parking lot there are way too many cars for that small place. They enter and of course the line is very long. Rusty look at her apologetically, but gets in the line and wait patiently. How is that possible that he chose the slowest fast food in all of LA?

"Sharon, will you be ordering anything?" he asks her when it's almost their turn.

"No, honey, I told you I'm going out tonight," she says absently.

"Oh right, I forgot. Do you know where he's taking you?"

"To dinner for sure. I won't be late so don't worry and we still have a case on our hands," she says impatiently. She really hate to be behind schedule. They are still a few people before them in line, and the smell of the fast food place is starting to soak into her clothes. The thought of her car smelling like fries annoys her even more.

Rusty places his order and after too long of a wait, they are back in the car again. She glances at her watch. _One hour, thirty two minutes, and nine seconds._ Now for sure she will be late.

The only positive thing is that their home is not that far from this place. If she is lucky and the traffic is smooth, she might be home in fifteen minutes.

She is not.

After seven red lights and only one green, they are finally home. She gets in and takes off her shoes, puts her Uggs on and takes off her coat. Rusty is already in the kitchen devouring his burger.

"Rusty, civility. Remember, use a plate and a glass. Don't eat from the bag and drink from the can," she says, shaking her head at him.

"I thought you wouldn't notice." He smiles at her and gets up to take a plate.

"I need to get ready. Clean up afterwards, please." And with that, she leave the kitchen and goes to her bedroom to start preparing herself for tonight. _Seventy five minutes and three seconds._

She takes a hot shower and while she washes her hair, she thinks about which outfit to pick for tonight. They are not celebrating tonight, so she won't wear anything too elegant, but a simple purple dress with long sleeves and a deep neckline will do. It falls to just above her knees. She knows he likes that dress. She smiles to herself.

After the shower comes the longest task, to blow dry her hair. It will take awhile. She still has _thirty nine minutes and fourteen seconds_ to get ready. She decides to dry it straight, this way she will save some precious time for makeup.

She is ready. Her hair is done, her makeup is almost finished. She only needs to apply her lipstick and that will be it. The dress fits her well, and the matching underwear is extremely comfortable considering that she is wearing lace.

_Eight minutes and five seconds _left till he will be there.

She puts her shoes on and searches for green silk scarf that he gave to her on her birthday. With one last look in the mirror, she leaves the room without hesitation. She is ready, and on time.

She glances at her watch again just to be sure. _Four minutes._ She goes to the couch in the living room.

"You look nice," she hears Rusty say. He sits beside her on the couch and flips through the TV channels.

"Thank you. You can watch some TV, but I want you in bed by ten thirty at the latest. You have school tomorrow."

He nods.

_Two minutes_ are left till the time they agreed on. When _one minute_ passes, she hears her doorbell ring and stands up, moving toward the door.

Opening the door she sees the smiling face of her lieutenant Andy Flynn who stands there with flowers in his hands.

"Hi, gorgeous," he says and bends down for a long kiss on her lips.

"Hi, yourself, and thank you," she says, passing her hand over his gray tie. She gave it to him as a present last Christmas.

"Are you ready?" he asks, and steps into the condo and greets Rusty with a nod.

"Right on time." She smiles, taking the flowers from him and putting them into a vase.

"As always," he whispers into her ear and places a small kiss on her neck. "Shall we?"

"Yes. Rusty, if you need anything, you can call me," she says, and walks out the door with Andy on her arm.

No one was late after all.

**Thank you for reading. Let me know what you think, please **


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